What did you call me?
by ValkerieCain
Summary: Columbus is pissed of at Tallahassee for something he said, can Tallahassee make it up to him? Talumbus. rated M for my Paranoia.


"Oh god! Way better than any damn Twinkie! Right there! Come for me my little whore!"

Tallahassee's hips hit his with one last brutal thrust before he exploded into Columbus's quivering walls filling him with his seed.

The older man's eyes were closed in pure bliss as he let his hard, chiseled body fall off of the body of his younger lover, oblivious to the quiver of the younger man's bottom lip or the tears that he was unsuccessfully trying to hold back. The older man's lack of sight however did not hinder his ability to hear the soft sob that accompanied these tears.

Concerned he quickly rolled onto his side to face his little Spit-fuck, immediately moving his large hand to reach out and wipe away the fat droplets that had gathered in Columbus's eyes.

'Oh God,' he thought 'Please don't cry! Shit what the fuck did I do? Was I too ruff? Fuck! It sounded like he was enjoying it!'

The older man started to frantically look for any sign of blood when the sniffling of his younger lover interrupted his thoughts.

"Collie? What's wrong love?"

Columbus's sniffling only got louder with the burly man's ignorance.

"What did I do Collie? Did I hurt you? Oh God please don't cry."

"You called me that name again!" Columbus whimpered as Tallahassee pulled him closer, cradling the younger boys head to his shoulder.

Tallahassee closed his eyes trying to remember what he had said that had gotten his Collie so upset as he soothingly rubbed Columbus's curls.

'Shit.'

**"Oh god! Way better than any damn Twinkie! Right there! Come for me my little whore!"**

Tallahassee's earlier words started to bounce around tauntingly in his head. It wasn't the first time it had happened. Tallahassee often got carried away in the heat of the moment. He hadn't meant to say it and he _definitely_ didn't mean it but after years of his release being one night stands where no one gave a fuck what the other said, sometimes Tallahassee in the moment couldn't see the difference between those one night stands and his current lover Columbus.

"I'm sorry Columbus. I - I don't know what to say," He started off his apology but couldn't seem to find the words.

"But you know I don't mean it, Collie-" He was cut off by a bitter laugh from Columbus.

"Do you? Do you _really_?"

Tallahassee pulled his little Spit-Fuck away slightly so he could see his face properly, trying to show the younger man he was sincere. He was sure that his lover would believe him, but as his eyes swept his Collie's face the younger man's anger indicated otherwise.

"I'm turning _twenty-three _tomorrow Tallahassee and I love you." The boys paused as if contemplating something.

" You say that you love me back -" The boy spoke but was interrupted by the bigger man.

"But I do Collie! I do -" Columbus held up a hand to stop him as he continued a little more angry than he had been before.

"We have been doing this for nearly two years now and not even Arizona knows about us. Not even your best friend!" Tallahassee had the conscience to look guilty.

"What am I supposed to think?" he continued, no anger etching his voice but more a heart-stabbing despair.

"My Parents ask me when I'm going to bring a guy home with me all the time and I have to lie to them because of you. Wichita tries to set me up on dates all the time and I have to lie to her to! My Best Friend Tallahassee! But no I can't tell them because you're too worried about what other people will think about us!" The boy stopped suddenly, breathing in deeply and letting most of his anger go.

"Maybe I _am_ just a whore to you..."He wasn't accusing, just stating.

Columbus rolled onto his back staring at the Bill Murray posters that were draped all over his lover's room, he gazed at the empty Twinkie boxes and realized that nothing in this room depicted that he was a frequent inhabitant. That thought along with several others filled Columbus with doubts on his relationship with the older man.

Tallahassee removed his arm from around his young lover allowing him the space he silently requested, but he stilled at the quiet murmur that came from Columbus.

"I thought I'd be able to call someone my boyfriend by twenty- three."

Tallahassee's mind buzzed with words, poetry inspiring statements that hoped to redeem him to his Collie lying stiff beside him, but by the time he had reached out to grab one of them, without it melting through his virtual fingertips, Columbus was asleep. His light, steady breaths providing the gentle melody that pulled him into sleep each night.

"Wichita!"

Columbus laughed, launching himself across the room and pulling his best friend into his arms, almost causing them both to topple to the floor. Wichita's legs wrapped tightly around his waist and she buried her head into his shoulder squeezing him so hard he had to loosen her arms a little to breathe.

"Wichita I can't…" Columbus rasped out in on breath feeling an uncomfortable pressure on his lungs.

"Sorry," she chuckled as she laxed the deathly hold her arms held around his neck and loosened the grip her legs held around his waist.

Columbus waved to Little Rock, whom he could see over Wichita's shoulder entering the kitchen to his dorm quietly probably trying to find some sugarless gum. Everyone had been shocked when the sisters decided they were taking a "Road Trip" to Pacific Play land this term but Columbus was one of the few that immediately accepted the girl's decision (even if he listed off useless travel safety rules and even bought them a book on travel safety) and their relationship had never been stronger for it. Columbus had been devastated, however, by Wichita's choice of permanently relocating to California two months ago when she met the love of her life Phoenix. It was needless to say that he was ecstatic by this announced visit.

"Couldn't miss my little Guppies Birthday now could I?" Wichita grinned down at him as she smacked him on the ass affectionately to stop him from dropping her out of his hold. He grinned madly and he kissed her soundly on the cheek.

"Geez, if only I wasn't completely in love with Pheonix I could have men whoring themselves out to me, doing my bidding! Eh?" She winked at him as she pinched his bottom playfully.

Columbus however was not amused. The words hitting him like a slap across the face. He put down Wichita out of his embrace not able to keep the sour look from crossing his features.

"Guppy?" Wichita started in a worried gush.

"I'm sorry. I only said it because I thought you would know I was joking. Columbus?" She looked up to meet their eyes properly.

He sighed. "Sorry Wichita ... It's not you, it's just..."

"What?" Wichita's voice quickly changed from concerned to its protective mother bear mode, her 'Bitch voice' as he had taken to affectionately naming it.

"Has someone been calling you a whore Columbus?" She watched his fists clench and release at his sides.

"Because if they have, I swear I'll fucking punch 'em right in the damn -"

"Shh Wichita..." He patted her shoulder, feeling slightly guilty in taking pleasure in the knowledge that she would most definitely do that should she find out what Tallahassee had said, self imposed big brother or not.

"I think he's learnt his lesson now." Columbus said this of course earning him a skeptical look from Wichita but as he glanced over to where Tallahassee sat in the living room, Phoenix across from him, he could see his Tally's eyes flicker from his Twinkie to Wichita's closed fists and then back to where he was standing so he was sure that Tallahassee had been listening.

"I wish I didn't have to go to school today," He steered the conversation away from the sensitive topic.

"But you will be at the restaurant tonight for my party?"

"As if you even have to ask Guppy?" Wichita grinned broadly, her eyes softening as she gazed upon her best friend.

Wichita had arrived late after breakfast and he only had a few minutes before he was due to drive to Campus for his first class.

"I'm sorry, I have to go." He picked up his small binder and folders that he needed for the day as he slipped his runner on socked feet.

"No worries, have a great day and I'll see you tonight okay?"

"Okay." He grinned back.

He looked over to Tallahassee but he suddenly seemed absorbed in conversation with Phoenix so with another kiss on the cheek to Wichita he left without another word.

His classes for the day were hectic he had barely any time between rushing up and down levels to go the bathroom for his 'irritable bowel syndrome'. He was therefore not impressed when he was rushing down the hall to his car having forgot something for his next class and five of his fellow school mates around his car, heads lowered in some sordid gossip session.

"What are you all doing?" He asked just as his eyes caught the brilliant white orchids that littered the inside of his car.

"We came outside to see your car looking like this Columbus," A girl in one of his classes, Shelly blushed guiltily as her friend fumbled to hand him the card to go with it. He scowled at them, taking the card from Joanne's outstretched hand and shooing them away.

_To my love,_

_My little Spit-fuck,_

_I'm sorry._

_Happy Birthday Collie_

Torn between hugging the small card to his chest and burning it with the lighter he kept just in case, he knew the messy kinder-garden looking of Tallahassee's handwriting and he knew his Tally truly meant the words it scribed but the absence of that one word that would complete his happiness stared at him more obvious than the others.

Tallahassee hadn't signed it.

He spent the rest of the afternoon in the study hall completing the en mass of assignments that were handed out today in his classes.

"Columbus?" Shelly's voice called from beside him.

"Yes Shelly?" Columbus answered.

"This came for you in computer tech but you weren't there so…" Columbus accepted the box of chocolates from the girl, the ridiculous size of the thing almost overbearing for the both of them. They laid down the box on the floor instead of letting it clutter the desk he was using.

It was the largest box of chocolates he had ever seen and all his favorite kind. Lindor a brand he had always loved. Again there was a card but yet again it was unsigned, but at least it made him laugh.

_If I make you fat you will stay with me?_

Only Tallahassee could say something so inappropriate and make him laugh from it. He sighed, looking at the clock. There were two hours left.

By the time he arrived at the restaurant it was dark. Getting out of his car now devoid of the white orchids, he tried not to rush into the restaurant. Columbus loved his birthday.

He was never really that close to his parents so birthday parties in the past were inconsequential. As he got older though and finally made some friends in Wichita and Little Rock birthdays became a big happy celebration between them all. The girls having no parents to spoil them and Columbus's parents being nervous shut-ins they leant on each other for family celebrations soon including Tallahassee to their weird trio.

Dinner had consisted of all his favorite foods, finished with most delicious cheesecake he had ever tasted. They all ate so much that even Tallahassee was holding his stomach in contented pain as they wobbled somehow back to their shared flat for 'Present time'.

Predictably, Columbus received an enormous amount of video games. So much that he thought he might have to buy an extra shelf or two to find a home for all his new games. When the last present was unwrapped Columbus leaned back stretching his arms as he let out a loud yawn. His fingertips barely touched the large stack of video games beside him.

He was thinking about suggesting a movie and trying to convince Wichita to stay at his and Tallahassee's flat for tonight at least. He didn't think he should go to Tallahassee's room that night. Suddenly the burly man he was just thinking about was pushing off from his place at the wall and striding towards him.

He hadn't talked to him the whole night and instead sat at the far end of the table and was across the room from him at all times. Sometimes Columbus thought he could feel Tallahassee's hot gaze on his neck but by the time he had looked up he was always thoroughly absorbed in his potatoes or talking to Arizona.

A fear in the back of his over imaginative mind told him that it was only a matter of time before they were over and Tallahassee was just thinking of a way to let him down nicely, or perhaps waiting for Columbus to do it first.

But his face was a nervous smile as he pulled the young boy up from his spot around the scattered wrapping paper and led him to stand with him in the middle of the living room.

"I haven't given you my present yet," he whispered in Columbus's ear in answer to his confused expression.

"But yes you have," Columbus argued. "I got your flowers ... and the chocolates ... thank you." Tallahassee merely chuckled at him.

"I'm hoping you'll like this one much better." And then he raised his voice so the rest of the room could hear him too.

"I'm so sorry for what I called you. I didn't mean it. And you are right...about everything else..."

Columbus blushed embarrassed of the allusion Tallahassee presented to the name he had called him; sure the nosy audience around them would want to know what he had meant and knowing that he would never tell them.

Tallahassee took a deep breath as his eyes locked with Columbus's, he could see the emotion he held his next words with,

"I've wanted to do this for so long..." The older man paused as if he was gathering the courage to say his next words.

"Collie, I love you."

He could hear the gasps that traveled around the room, but all he could think about is how much he hated those video games compared to this present. This was all Columbus could ever want... he thought, until Tallahassee continued...

" In front of all these people Collie, will you be my boyfriend?"

His reply of "yes" was barely heard as he launched himself towards Tallahassee. Luckily the older man had enough strength to stop them falling back.

When they remembered their audience they finally stood up, Tallahassee taking the moment to slip Columbus into a passion filled kiss. When they were finally interrupted by Little Rock making gagging noises, they stood facing the room, their fingers intertwined, as they awaited their relationships reception from their friends.

Each person had a mixture of shock and half smile written across their face as they stood before the silent room. They each seemed hesitant on who should go to them first. In the end it was Wichita that first stepped forward. She walked silently to stand in front of them. Without words he smiled at Columbus before he turned to face Tallahassee.

None of them had to time to act before -

_WHACK_.

Wichita had slammed her fist right into the side of Tallahassee's face making the older man fall back ungracefully to the floor with a yelp, letting go of Columbus' hand so that he would not fall too.

"Wichita!" He gasped incredulous as he looked down upon his conscious but shocked boyfriend. Which was probably a good thing for Wichita considering his boyfriends' temper.

Wichita just shrugged as she smiled sheepishly at Columbus.

"I told you I would sock him."


End file.
